Apparatus for crimping textile strands



Oct. 21, 1958 A N. E. KLEIN 2,355,640

APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE STRANDS Filed Feb. 1, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet1 I INVENTORZ 47 #21014 f. 1415/.

ATTOFNEYS.

Oct. 21, 1958 N. E. KLEIN APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE STRANDS 3Sheets--Shet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1954 INVENTOR: #02414 2 flew;

foLn M ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 21, 1958 N. E. KLEIN 2,856,640 APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING TEXTILESTRANDS Filed Feb. 1. 1954 s Sheets-Sheet s i n L INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

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United States Patent 2,856,640 APPARATUS FOR CRIB [PING TEXTILE STRANDSNorman E. Klein, Pendleton, S. C., 'assignor to Deering MillikenResearch Corporation, Pendleton, S. C., a

corporation of Delaware Application February 1, 1954, Serial No. 407,4748 Claims. (Cl. Ill-66) This invention relates to an improved apparatusfor curling, crimping or crinkling continuous substantially parallelstrands, ropes, slivers or bundles of artificial filaments or fibers tocondition the same for subsequent processing, such as spinning andtwisting.

Apparatus currently in use for imparting crimp or crinkle to artificialsliver or tow include complementary sets of relatively narrow positivelydriven feed rolls between which the sliver is fed into a stuffingchamber whose discharge end is restricted by a movable clapper plate toresist or retard the flow of sliver through the chamber to cause it tobunch up and crinkle or crimp within the chamber prior to beingdischarged from the chamber. In such an apparatus the amount of crimp isdetermined by the pressure of the feed rolls and the resistance of theclapper plate. The feed roll pressure must be adjustable and positiveyet resilient and the resistance of the clapper plate must also beresilient and adjustable in relation to the feed roll pressure.

Prior devices have not been satisfactory in that the means employed toprovide relative movement of the feed rolls toward and away from eachother permit the axes of rotation of the rolls to become misalignedthereby causing the rolls to become skewed with respect to each other.Operation of the rolls under such conditions soon causes the side platesof the stuffing chamber that are in contact with the side faces of therolls to become grooved and worn thereby making it necessary to replacefrequently the side plates in order to maintain the operating efficiencyof the crimping machine.

It is, therefore, the primary object of my invention to provide animproved, simple and effective means for enabling the feed rolls of acrimping machine to be moved relative to each other under operatingconditions without permitting the axes of the rolls to move out ofparallelism.

The arrangements of prior devices for applying pres sure to the feedrolls are also unsatisfactoiy in that they have a relatively smallmechanical advantage, utilize cumbersome parts and consequently have alow rate of response.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved means forapplying pressure to the feed rolls of a crimper which possesses a largemechanical advantage thereby permitting the use of light weight partswhich due to their light weight have a low inertia and consequentlypermit a quick response of the rolls to variations in size or thicknessof the rope or bundle of material being fed therebetween.

Briefly, the foregoing objects are accomplished by mounting the two feedrolls respectively on two parallel disposed shafts that are relativelylong compared with the axial lengths of the rolls. One shaft isconcentrically journaled at each end in low friction bearings carried bythe frame of the crimping machine. The second shaft is of tubular formand is journaled at its ends on low friction bearings carried by aninternal shaft that extends beyond the ends of the tubular shaft. Theends of the internal shaft projecting beyond the tubular shaft are eachprovided with a reduced diameter portion disposed in eccentric relationwith respect to the axis: of the tubular shaft. These reduced diameterportions arejalso journaled in low friction bearings mounted in theframe.

Any movement of the second roll toward and away fromthe first roll musttherefore always take place with theaxes of the two rolls remaining inparallelism.

The relatively small eccentricity between the axes of the journal shaftprojections and the tubular shaft carrying the second feed roll makes itpossible to urge the feed rolls toward each other with a great force bythe application of only a relatively small rotative force to theinternal shaft. This rotative force may be applied through any suitablemeans such as a lever arm and coil spring, a torsional springsurrounding the internal shaft or even a torsion bar forming acontinuation of the shaft.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a front elevation of theimproved crimping apparatus with the weight arm broken away;

Figure 2 is'a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 22in Figure l, with parts broken away to clearly illustrate the crimpingchamber and its improved restricting means;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical the improved crimping apparatus takensubstantially along line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 44 in Figure 3, showing means for driving the feed rolls inopposite directions;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary isometric view looking at the right-handportion and end of the upper feed roll supporting shaft in Figure 3,showing the eccentric portion thereon and also showing the pressureapplying lever mounted thereon;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary isometric view similar to Figure 5, butshowing the corresponding end of the upper feed roll supporting shafteccentrically journaled in the corresponding Wall of the housing orframe and showing another or second form of means for exerting torsionalpressure on the upper feed roll;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing still another orthird form of means for applying torsional pressure to the upper feedroll.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, with particular referenceto Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, one form of the inveniton is shown inwhich the numeral 10 broadly designates a suitable housing for theimproved crimping apparatus and which includes top and bottom walls 11and 12, side walls 13 and 14 and a partial rear wall 15 which extendsupwardly from the bottom wall 12 and terminates substantially short ofthe top wall 11. The rear wall 15 has a guide in the form of a trumpet16 suitably secured thereto through which a .strand, rope or sliver S ofsubstantially parallel artificial or synthetic textile filaments orfibers is drawn by means of a complementary pair of feed rolls 20 and21.

Since the sliver S is drawn between the rolls 20 and 21 in asubstantially horizontal plane, the rolls 20 and 21 may be respectivelytermed as bottom and top feed rolls. The feed roll-s 20 and 21 arepreferably made of hardened and ground metal and are provided withrelatively narrow cylindrical faces substantially greater in width thanthe maximum width of the rope or sliver S to be crimped.

sectional view through Disposed immediately forwardly of the bite or nipof the feed rolls 20 and 21 is an elongated crimping or stufling chamberC formed from side plates 22 and 23 which are spanned by a pair ofspaced upper and lower chamber walls 24 and 25, respectively, shown inthe form of relatively narrow bars suitably secured to the proximalsurfaces of the side plates 22 and 23.

The bar 24'is of less length than the bar 25 and has a generally arcuateconcave end 26 which mates with a generally convex end of a bar 27 whichforms part of the upper wall of the crimping chamber and is in effect anextension of the bar 24. The bar 27 is pivotally mounted adjacent itsconcave end between the plates 22 and 23 as at 28. The bar 27 acts as aclapper plate or chamber restricting plate.

The inner or rear end of the bar 27 is disposed at a point intermediatethe length of the chamber C and the free front end of the bar 27 extendsbeyond the lower chamber wall 25 and has a projection or abutment 30 onitsupper surface which is engaged by a lever portion 31 of a weight arm.The lever 31 is pivoted, as at 32, between the side plates 22 and 23 anda rod 33 is suitably secured in the free end of the lever and forms apart of the weight arm. A suitable weight 34 is confined on the rod 33as by a snap ring or projection 35 and is adjustably positioned thereonas by a hand screw 36.

Thus, the front end of the chamber restricting plate 27 is normallyurged toward the lower chamber wall 25 by the weight arm and its weight34 to impede or retard, to a predetermined extent, free movement of therope or sliver S through the crimping or restricting chamber. Thiscauses the sliver S to fold back upon itself in the rear portion of thestuffing chamber as it is fed thereinto by the feed rolls 20 and 21,thus forming a crimp or crinkle in the. filaments or fibers as is bestshown in Figure 2. Upon the sliver backing up a sufficient amount in thechamber C, it will exert pressure upon the bar 27 to permit crimpedsliver to be discharged from the cham er A suitable discharge chute 37may be positioned adjacent the, discharge end of the stuffing chamber asby means of a shaft or pin 38 extending through the bar 27; and onopposite ends of which hooked upper ends of side walls 39 of theinclined discharge chute 37 are supported, the side walls 39 fitting insuitable recesses in theplates 22. and 23.

l The respective upper and lower ends of the side plates 22 and 23' aresuitably secured to the front edge of the top wall 11 of housing 1t) andthe front edge of a bar 41; suitably secured to the upper surface of thebottom housing wall 12. If desired, suitable spacers 40 on rods 40a maybe positioned between the plates 22 and 2,3 and the plates 22 and 23 andassociated parts may be removed from the housing as a unit.

In order that straying portions of the sliver S under pressure are nottrapped during the crimping or crinkling operation, the rear portion ofthe stufling chamber overlaps the feed rolls 20 and 21 as shown inFigure 2. The rear ends of the upper and lower chamber walls 24 and 25are disposed in closely spaced relation to the cylindrical surfaces ofthe rolls 20 and 21 and are arcuately shaped as at 42, to conformsubstantially to the curvature of the rolls.

The rear end of each of the side plates 22 and 23 has a relativelynarrow extension 43 which overlaps the two outside side faces of thefeed rolls 20 and 21 adjacent the bite of the feed rolls 20 and 21 andare preferably provided with hearing inserts 44 of a vitreous materialsuch as the composition known as AlSiMag. The bearing inserts 44slidably engage the distal side; faces of the rolls 20 and 21 to insurethat the sliver S is fed iHiO, the chamber C.

Inv order to maintain or set the crimp in the sliver S it is. necessaryto heat the sliver while in crimped condition within the chamber C. Tothis end, suitable means are provided for introducing moist heat such assteam or the like into the chamber C comprising a pair of pipes 45 and46 whose upper ends penetrate and are suitably secured in the bearinginserts 44 immediately forwardly of the bite of the feed rolls 20 and21. The discharge ends of the pipes 45 and 46 are preferably coveredwith perforated disks 50. The pipes 45 and 46 extend downwardly and areconnected to a common pipe 47 extending to a suitable source of heatsuch as steam or gas, not shown.

In order to obtain the desired crimp, it is necessary to feed the sliverS into the chamber C under pressure which may be varied in proportion tothe weight exerted on the bar 27 and at the same time the feeding meansmust be more or less yieldable to allow for variations in the thicknessof the sliver. To accomplish this purpose the feed roll 21 is mounted ina novel manner.

The bottom feed roll 20 is fixed on the medial portion of a transverseshaft 51 whose reduced opposite ends are suitably journaled in the sidewalls 13 and 14 of the housing 10 as by low-friction bearings 52 inbearing housings 53, suitably positioned in the respective side walls 13and 14. The upper feed roll 21 is fixed on a tubular member or shaft 56rotatably mounted on an upper shaft 57 as by anti-friction orlow-friction bearings 60 and 61.

Suitable lubricant seals 62 are preferably provided adjacent the distalsurfaces of each of the anti-friction bearings 60 and 61 and the tubularshaft 56 has a suitable lubricant fitting 64 mounted therein forintroducing lubricant into the tubular shaft 56 to lubricate thebearings 60 and 61. Opposite ends of the shaft 57 extend beyond thetubular shaft 56 and each has a reduced eccentric journal portion 65thereon. The eccentric portions 65 are suitably journaled in therespective side walls 13 and 14 of the housing 10, as by anti-frictionor lowfriction bearings 66 in bearing housings 67 positioned in therespective side walls 13 and 14 of the housing 10. The bearing housings53 and 67 are also provided with suitable lubricant seals 70 to preventlubricant from escaping therefrom.

Resilient means are provided for applying a rotative force to theeccentrically mounted shaft 57 and, in the form shown in Figures 1, 2, 3and 5, such resilient means is embodied in a pressure applying lever ortorsion lever 71 fixed on the shaft 57 between the right-hand bearingblock 67 in Figure 3 and the corresponding end of the tubular shaft 56,as by a key 72. The eccentric portions 65 are disposed substantiallyrearwardly of the axis of the shaft 57, and the pressure applying lever71 extends forwardly from shaft 57 and has the upper end of a tensionspring 74 connected to the free front end thereof. The lower extremityof the tension spring 74 is connected to an eye-bolt 75 which looselypenetrates the bottom Wall 12 of the housing 10 and has an adjustmentnut 76 threadably mounted on its lower end and engaging the lowersurface of the wall 12.

It is apparent that tightening or loosening the nut 76 on the eye-bolti5 correspondingly increases and decreases the amount of downwardpressure exerted by the top feed roll 21 to permit accurate and minuteadjustment of the amount of pressure exerted by the top roll 21 upon thesliver S.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the rolls 20 and 21 inopposite directions and in a preferred embodiment of said driving means,sprocket wheels 80 and 81 are fixed on corresponding ends of the shaft51 and the tubular shaft 57, respectively, and the upper portion of anendless belt or sprocket chain 82 substantially encircles the sprocketwheel 81 and passes between the sprocket wheels 80 and 81 in a clockwisedirection in Figure 4 and its rear or right-hand run engages the lowersprocket wheel 80. The belt or sprocket chain 82 may be driven by anysuitable means, not shown, to thereby impart rotation to the sprocketwheels 80 and 81 and the respective bottom and top rolls 20 and 21 inopposite directions. In this instance, the bottom roll 20 is driven in acounterclockwise direction and the top roll 21 is driven in a clockwisedirection in Figure 2. A dividing wall 85 may be provided to separatethe driving, mecha nism from the crimping area within the housing.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown a modified or second form of meansfor applying pressure to the upper feed roll and, since the parts shownin Figure 6, other than the modifications made therein, are identical tothose shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, those parts shown in Figure 6which are the same as those shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 shall bearthe same reference characters with the prime notation added.

In lieu of a pressure applying arm or torsion arm such as the arm 71 inFigures 1, 2, 3 and 5, the eccentric portion 65' in Figure 6 has one endof a torsion bar or rod 90 fixed thereto, substantially concentrictherewith. The torsion rod 90 is preferably polygonal in cross-section,but it may be circular in cross-section, if desired, and it ispreferable that its inner end is embedded in the free end of thecorresponding eccentric portion 65' of the shaft 57'. The torsion bar orrod 90 loosely extends through a suitable opening 91 provided thereforin the corresponding bearing block 67 and the outer end of the torsionbar or rod 90 loosely penetrates a stationary member shown in the formof a plate 92 which is spaced substantially from the corresponding wall13 of the housing or frame 10'. n

The outer end of the torsion bar or rod 90 is fixed in a torsion controllever shown in the form of a torsion plate or adjusting plate 93 whichbears against the outer surface of the stationary plate 92 and isprovided with an arcuate slot 94 generated about the axis of the torsionrod or bar 90. The slot 94 is penetrated by an adjustment screw 95 whichis preferably in the form of a thumb screw and whose inner end isthreadably embedded in the stationary plate 92.

Thus, the plate 93 may be adjusted in either direction tocorrespondingly twist or turn the torsion bar or rod 90 for accordinglyadjustably varying the amount of downward pressure exerted by thetubular shaft 56. When the torsion adjusting plate 93 has been properlypositined,.the thumb screw 95 is then tightened to maintain the torsionrod or bar 90 under the desired torsional stress to thereby effect thedesired downward pressure in the upper feed roll, such as the roll 21 inFigures 1, 2 and 3.

In Figure 7, there is still another or third form of means illustratedfor transmitting downward pressure to the upper feed roll and, since thestructure shown in Figure 7 is similar to that shown in Figure 2, withthe exception of the form of means shown for imparting torsional ordownward pressure to the upper feed roll, those parts shown in Figure 7which are substantially the same as those shown in Figure 2 will bearthe same reference characters with a double-prime notation added.

The pressure applying means shown in Figure 7 differs from that shown inFigures 1, 2, 3, and 6 in that the eccentric portion 65" at one end ofthe shaft 57" has one end of a torsion spring 100 fixed thereto whoseother end has one end of a link 101 connected thereto. The other orlower end of the link 101 is connected to one end of an eye-bolt orthreaded shaft 102 which loosely penetrates the bottom wall 12 of thehousing 10" and has an adjustment nut 103 threadably mounted on itslower end and engaging the lower surface of the wall 12". The eye-bolt102 and nut 103 may be identical to the eye-bolt 75 and nut 76 shown inFigures 1 and 2 although, in this instance, the eye-bolt 102 is mountedmore closely adjacent the vertical plane of the lower and upper feedrolls 20" and 21" than that of the eye-bolt 75 relative to the verticalplane of the lower and upper feed rolls 20 and 21 in Figure 2.

It is apparent that tightening or loosening the nut 103 on the eye-bolt102 correspondingly increases and decreases the amount of downwardpressure exerted by the top feed roll 21 to permit accurate and rninnteadjustment of the amount of pressure exerted by the top'roll 21 upon thesliver S.

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved crimping apparatus forcontinuous substantially parallel artificial or synthetic filaments inrope, sliver or strand form embodying an improved, simple and effectiveadjustable means, shown in three forms, for varying the pressure of oneof a complementary pair of feed rolls relative to the other of the feedrolls to control the feeding of the textile filaments into the crimpingchamber. In addition, means are provided for heat-setting the crimp.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for crimping textile material in sliver form comprising apositively driven pair of complementary feed rolls, a stufiing chamberadapted to receive sliver from said feed rolls, said stuffing chamberhaving a pair of extending members slideably engaging: the end faces ofsaid feed rolls adjacent the bite thereof, movable means eccentricallysupporting one of said feed rolls relative to its axis of rotation, andresilient means for applying a rotative force to said movable means tourge said one roll into engagement with the other roll withoutpermitting the axes of the rolls to move out of parallelism, wherebyuneven wear of said extending members is minimized.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprisesa lever extending from said movable means and adjustable spring meansconnected to the free portion of said lever for exerting a forcethereon.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprisesa torsion spring connected to said movable means for exerting a rotativeforce thereon.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprisesa torsion bar connected to said movable means for exerting a rotativeforce thereon.

5. Apparatus for importing crimp to textile material in sliver formcomprising a support member, a shaft carried by said support member, afirst feed roll carried by said shaft, a second shaft disposed in spacedparallel relation to said first shaft and having eccentric portions onopposite ends thereon journaled in said support member, a tubular shaftrotatably mounted on said second shaft, a second feed roll carried bysaid tubular shaft, said first and second rolls being disposed incomplementary positions to form a bite therebetween, means forpositively driving said feed rolls in unison, a stufling chamber adaptedto receive sliver from said feed rolls, said stufiing chamber havingside plates with extensions which slideably engage the end faces of saidfeed rolls adjacent the bite thereof, and resilient means for applying arotative force to said second shaft to urge said second roll intoengagement with said first roll without permitting the axes of saidrolls to move out of parallelism, whereby uneven wear of said extensionsis minimized.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said resilient means comprisesa lever fixed to said second shaft and extending substantially radiallytherefrom, spring means for applying a force to a portion of said leverspaced from said second shaft, and means for adjusting said spring meansto vary the amount of force exerted thereby.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said resilient means comprisesa torsion spring having one of its ends connected to said second shaft,and adjustable means connected to the other end of said torsion springto cause said spring to exert a rotative force on said second shaft.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said re- References Cited inthe file of this patent silient means comprises a torsion bar having oneof its UNITED STATES PATENTS ends connected to sald second shaft, and adustable means 4 d S 1 connected to said torsion bar remote from itspoint of 2 z S 1 3 attachment to said second shaft to hold said barunder a 5 iii-51 gig g 2 t t y orslonal stress, whereby said bar exertsa re ative force 2,514,557 Pfau y 1950 San secmd shaft 2,525,590 CollinsOct. 10, 1950

